3 major fights on the right to watch in Trump's next 6 months

The Hill

6 days ago

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Disputes on the right that had been simmering on the backburner as Republicans rallied around President Trump during his first six months in office are poised to roar to a boil in the second half of the year.
Now that Republicans have pushed through the 'One Big, Beautiful Bill' of Trump's tax cut and spending priorities, there is more space to hash out other intra-party debates. Trump's approval ratings seem to be reaching a summer slump, creating an opening for criticism. And the fissure over Jeffrey Epstein disclosures has exposed a slip in Trump's grip on the GOP.
Here's what I'm watching:
1. Tariff hikes versus free trade instincts
Republicans are bracing for Trump's threatened tariff hikes on most countries — which he had paused for several months — ahead of another critical deadline on August 1.
Many Republicans have sat back and given Trump, who they regularly laud as a master negotiator, room to strike deals with trading partners. But Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on CBS News's 'Face the Nation' over the weekend that the Aug. 1 deadline is firm.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) recently told The Hill that the global and American economies are in a 'fragile spot right now' given the uncertainty over tariffs.
'We're in uncharted territory. I do not know the impact the tariffs are going to have on the American economy or the global economy. I don't, and nobody else does either,' Kennedy said.
Republicans have already started to voice some concerns about the looming tariffs amid a lack of international deals.
For instance, two dozen Republicans led by Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas) sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer last month asking the U.S. to maintain its zero tariff policy on civil aircraft, as Politico reported.
If the tariffs get more real with little in terms of deals, quiet concerns are likely to grow much louder.
2. Posture toward Russia and Ukraine
The president's patience with Vladimir Putin is wearing visibly thin as the Russian president resists any deal that would bring an end to his country's invasion of Ukraine — resulting in Trump growing more open to taking a tougher stance toward Russia.
Trump warned on July 14 that if Russia did not agree to a deal within 50 days, he would pursue 'very severe tariffs' on Russia — and Republicans in support of a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill have said that a vote on the matter will come as soon as Trump gives the green light.
But there is a notable contingent of Republicans who are still skeptical of being involved at all in the Russia-Ukraine clash. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) criticized Trump's plan to speed up weapons deliveries to NATO countries that would then send those arms to Ukraine in a New York Times interview last week.
'I said it on every rally stage: 'No more money to Ukraine. We want peace,'' Greene said.
And seventy-six House Republicans voted in favor of an amendment from Greene last week to bar funds in their annual defense appropriations bill from being used for assistance to Ukraine. Even though the amendment failed and less than a majority of the House GOP supported it, it's still a sizable chunk that could complicate any Trump efforts to support Kyiv.
3. Government funding clashes
It took some major pushes from Trump to get congressional Republicans all on board with his 'One Big Beautiful Bill' due in part to concerns from deficit hawks — and those disputes and dynamics are only going to get more complicated as Congress starts to address regular government funding ahead of the Sept. 30 funding deadline.
Shutdown fears are already growing, my colleague Alex Bolton reports, since Republicans will need cooperation from Democrats in the Senate to keep the government — which is still operating at levels first approved under former President Biden — open.
It typically takes a more moderate deal on appropriations to clear the Senate's 60-vote threshold. And this time, Democrats furious about the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' and package that clawed back funds already allocated to public broadcasting and foreign aid are eyeing taking a more aggressive stance.
Further complicating that is government funding furor from deficit hawks on the GOP side who were disappointed by the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' not doing more to cut spending.
But with little work done on regular government funding bills ahead of the August recess, a stopgap measure is looking more and more likely — a proposal that will infuriate deficit hawks.
Welcome to The Movement, a weekly newsletter looking at the influences and debates on the right in Washington. I'm Emily Brooks, House leadership reporter at The Hill. Tell me what's on your radar: [e-mail]. Follow me on X: @emilybrooksnews.
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THE LEGACY OF ED FEULNER
Heritage Foundation founder Edward Feulner died this weekend at 83 years old — leaving behind a legacy of shaping influential institutions in the conservative movement as much as anyone from the Reagan era to the Trump era.
It wasn't just Heritage that had Feulner's fingerprints. He played a role in founding and was executive director of the Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative caucus in the House. He was involved in a number of other organizations that still thrive and shape conservative politics and policy today.
Former Vice President Mike Pence wrote in the Wall Street Journal that Feulner encouraged him to lead the Indiana Policy Review Foundation, as part of an effort to support state-based conservative think tanks that would eventually turn into the State Policy Network.
Current Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts and Board of Trustees Chairman Barb Van Andel-Gaby talked about Feulner's movement-building approach in a statement: 'Whether he was bringing together the various corners of the conservative movement at meetings of the Philadelphia Society, or launching what is now the Heritage Strategy Forum, Ed championed a bold, 'big-tent conservatism.' He believed in addition, not subtraction. Unity, not uniformity.'
Without a doubt, Feulner was a giant of the conservative movement — and one of its most important builders.
'The young Republicans in Washington may not know it, but they are spending down the intellectual capital stockpiled by Ed Feulner and his generation,' the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board wrote.
WAVE OF FILE DROPS — BUT NOT THOSE ONES
Could it be that the conservative clamor to release more disclosures on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is dying down after releases from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on other, unrelated sagas that have defined the MAGA hunger for retribution?
Gabbard's ODNI on Friday published a press release saying there was 'overwhelming evidence' that former President Obama and his officials 'manufactured and politicized intelligence' to launch a 'years-long coup against President Trump' in relation to Trump's suspected ties to Russia. (More in NPR.)
That coincided with a narrative shift from the types of MAGA influencers who had centered on anger over lack of Epstein disclosures for weeks. Now, they're calling to arrest Obama administration officials — and even the former president himself.
But that wasn't all.
Attorney General Pam Bondi on Monday released more information on the investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).Grassley subsequently released the 'Clinton Annex' appendix to the Justice Department inspector general report on the Clinton investigation.
'I appreciate their ongoing commitment to transparency and strongly urge them to continue to fully review this matter, including its national security impact,' Grassley said in a statement.
And for good measure, in a coordinated effort across agencies, the Trump administration released a tranche of files on the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. — despite objections from his family.
Is it enough to calm the right-wing outrage about lack of transparency in the Epstein matter? Stay tuned — and maybe look to the House floor for any residual Epstein drama. While Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has said he has no plans to bring a vote a on a non-binding resolution in support of the Epstein files release before August recess, House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris (R-Md.) told my colleague Mychael Schnell of an Epstein vote: 'It's still a long way to go until recess… I think one's gonna happen before August recess.'
ON MY CALENDAR
Wednesday, July 23: CPAC's Center for Combating Human Trafficking hosts an International Summit Against Human Trafficking on Capitol Hill in Cannon House Office Building, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Attorney General Pam Bondi is a confirmed speaker.
Wednesday, July 23: FDA Commissioner Marty Makary speaks for a lecture hosted by The Fund For American Studies and the office of Sen. Rand Paul, 12:30 p.m., Hart Senate Office Building.
Thursday, July 24: Libertarianism vs. Conservatism intern debate, a tradition with interns from the Cato Institute and Heritage Foundation. 5:30 p.m., in person and live streamed.
Monday, July 28: Unleash Prosperity hosts a conversation with Stephen Moore and Virginia Gov. Glenn Younkin (R) for an event launching a 'Vote with your feet' website tracking movement of people and money across the states. 5-7 p.m. at the Capitol Hill Club.
THREE MORE THINGS
Ruthless, the GOP operative podcast hosted by Josh Holmes, Michael Duncan, John Ashbrook and the man most known by his internet personality ' Comfortably Smug,' struck a business and editorial licensing deal with Fox News, Axios reported.
Did you know that Lara Trump, co-chair of the Republican National Committee and daughter-in-law of the president, has a musical streak? She released a new song today, The Telegraph's Rob Crilly scooped, called Eyes of God.
Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) opened our conversion at the Hill Nation last week summit with a zinger. I asked how post-congressional life was treating him. McCarthy said, 'Fabulous. We don't have Matt Gaetz anymore.' The former congressman and McCarthy antagonist responded on X: 'This is so sad, Kevin. Get help. Move on. You don't have to always be thinking about me.'
WHAT I'M READING